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Washington Times prefers ‘illegal immigrant’ because it fits easily in headlines

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One of the reasons the Washington Times is rejecting the Associated Press‘s decision to stop using the term “illegal immigrant”:

The AP style is, of course, only a suggestion. Newspapers are free to make AP dispatches conform to their own higher standards. But copy editors abiding by the edict face a daunting task of trying to fit “living in or immigrating to a country illegally” into a one-column headline.

The AP announced earlier this month that “illegal immigrant” would no longer be used in its Stylebook because people themselves are not “illegal.” USA Today announced Thursday it will also discontinue its use of the term. Both the New York Times and Los Angeles Times are reconsidering the term as well.